


Remember Me, My Love

by theimpossiblepossiblegirl



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Pregnancy, Temporary Amnesia, mentions of a car accident
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-25
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-23 04:18:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6104682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theimpossiblepossiblegirl/pseuds/theimpossiblepossiblegirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When John Smith met Rose Tyler six years ago, he thought nothing bad could ever happen to the two of them. Little did he know, a car accident would prove him wrong. As Rose struggles with the possibility of losing her husband, John struggles with trying to get back to the woman he loves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Story was written without medical knowledge, I apologize for any inconsistencies within the story.
> 
> Written for Time Petals Prompt: Memory Loss

They had been married for four years. Four blissfully happy years. They had met two years before that at one of Torchwood’s conventions. It had been Pete that introduced them, much to Jackie’s dismay. It wasn’t that she disliked her son-in-law, he was just not who she pictured her daughter being with. Rose kept telling her that their age gap wasn’t that big of a deal. There was only a fifteen year different between the pair and to Rose, it wasn’t that big of a difference. He had started to court her only three months after they met and having never been courted before in her life, Rose had become completely smitten with him after a short amount of time.

When John had wanted to propose, he had asked Jackie for Rose’s hand. As much as Rose adored her stepfather, Pete, John knew Rose would want him to ask Jackie. It had taken her a full ten minutes to respond, having been shocked by his question. While John never told her exactly what her mum said, she knew it had to have meant something to the both of them since Jackie had finally accepted him from that moment on. Their wedding had been a quiet affair, only having their friends and close family members in attendance.

It was around six months after their wedding when John started to forget things. It wasn’t always something big, but it was always something that Rose would remember and would remind him. Most of the time he had no idea what she was talking about, but he went along with it. Rose had suggested he go to a doctor, but John didn’t want to. Eventually, he started to remember the things he forgot and they both thought it just meant he wasn’t getting enough rest.

It hadn’t happened again for a year and Rose put her foot down and insisted he go to the doctor. John wouldn’t admit it to her, but he was worried. When the doctor told him everything was normal with his bloodwork and the scans they did, John decided he would take some time off of work. He was a professor and instead of having summer classes, he decided to take the summer off. It did get better after that, only happening once or twice more, but never as badly as it had been before.

Rose had been on a mission when she received the call. John had been in an accident and was being rushed to the hospital. It took everything in her to get herself safely to the hospital and to find out where he was. Going up to the fourth floor, Rose called her mum and Pete, letting them know John was in surgery. After finding a sitter for her younger brother, Tony, they rushed over to the hospital to be with her. All either of them could make from Rose’s words was that he had been in an accident and hit his head. Pete left Jackie with Rose and went to find out what he could.

“Mum what if something happens to him?” Rose asked as she leaned against her mum’s shoulder, her tears slowing down.

“He loves you, sweetheart. He’ll fight his way out of this to stay with you.”

“I hope so, Mum. I hope so.” Rose mumbled before getting up to go wash her face.

Pete walked over a few minutes later and sat down next to Jackie, a solemn look on his face. “He’s in surgery now. He’s got bleeding in the brain, which they’re trying to stop, broken arm, broken leg, a few cracked ribs, and when the airbag deployed, it hit him in the face which caused severe bruising and swelling. The doctor will tell us more once John’s out of surgery.”

Jackie gasped and grabbed onto Pete’s arm, her eyes tearing up for both her daughter and her son-in-law. “How did this happen?”

“Drunk driver hit him. The other guy walked away with just a few scrapes and bruises. He’s in police custody right now. I’ll do what I can to help Rose and John. I don’t want Rose going through this alone.”

“She won’t be, she’s got us.”

When Rose came back a few minutes later, she sat next to Pete, worrying her lip between her teeth. She had heard most of their conversation and while she had heard it once what had happened to her husband, this made the realization of it all hit home. She could lose him. Just like that. It wasn’t a possibility she ever wanted to consider. Feeling Pete’s arm around her, Rose leaned against his side, seeking the comfort only a father could give.

John had been in surgery for well into the night, she surmised. The doctor came to speak to them around nine that night and while the look on his face wasn’t positive, it wasn’t negative either.

“Mrs. Smith?”

“That’s me.” Rose stood up and crossed her arms over her stomach.

“Your husband is out of surgery. The swelling in his brain has gone down significantly. We were able to stop the bleeding right away and we don’t see that being an issue going forward. We’ve set his arm and leg in casts, which will take roughly two months to heal. We had to remove his spleen, the impact of the accident caused it to rupture. Right now, he’s in a coma, which is helping his brain to heal. We can’t tell when he’ll wake up, but the next forty eight hours will be crucial.”

“Can I see him?”

“Yes, in a few minutes. We’re moving him into a room right now.”

Pete had offered to pay for John’s medical expenses, wanting to help out wherever he could. Rose had agreed, knowing it was his way of looking out for the both of them. It would mean John would be in a private room and Rose would be able to stay for as long as she needed to with him. Pete told her not to worry about work either, telling her she could come back when she was ready.

“Will he be okay?” She questioned softly, blinking back tears.

“He should make a good recovery, but we won’t be able to assess more until he wakes up.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I will have the nurse come and get you once he’s been moved.” Giving Rose a comforting smile, he walked back down the hallway.

“Sweetheart, do you need anything?”

Rose nodded her head, wiping at her eyes. “I want to stay with him tonight, I can’t leave him, not like this. I need to contact the University, let them know what happened. Um, the protection detail next week, Pete, which I was supposed to be part of, I can’t leave for that long.”

“Don’t worry about it, Rose. I’ll take care of it all. You just worry about you and John.” Pete assured her, resting his hand on her shoulder.

Jackie pulled her daughter into a hug. “I’ll go over to the house and get a few things for you, bring it right back.”

“Thanks, Mum, Pete.” Rose hugged them both before Jackie and Pete left, promising to be right back. While Rose didn’t want to be alone right at that moment, it had been a long day for them all and both her mum and Pete had given up their day to be with her. _It’s what parents do._ She reminded herself as she paced up and down the small waiting room.

Ten minutes after they left, a nurse came in and let Rose know John was in his room and she could go see him. They would keep him in intensive care for a few days, to make sure the swelling was going down before moving him to a private room. She walked into the room and was shocked by what she saw. His injuries had been explained to her three times but seeing it firsthand had shocked her. His face was bruised and swollen and while he was breathing on his own, he did have an oxygen mask on his face to aid his breathing.

“Oh my love.” Rose made her way over to the bed and sat down next to him, slipping her hand over his. “Please be all right. I don’t know what I’d do without you by my side. I know you didn’t want to go to the event on Saturday, but this wasn’t the way to get out of it.” She joked lightly, standing up again to press a gentle kiss to his cheek before sitting down again. While there were many things she would need to address in the next few days, making sure John wasn’t alone was top on her list. “Wake up soon, I miss you. I want to see your smile, hear your voice.” She whispered softly, blinking away the tears that were falling again.


	2. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John finally wakes from his coma, only to discover the past six years of his life are missing, including his memories of Rose. As she helps him through his recovery, she finds herself falling in love with him all over again.

It would be two months before John woke from his coma. Rose only left his side for a few hours on Saturdays to go home and take of the things she needed to get done. Jackie had stepped in and was helping where she could and while Rose knew she didn’t mind, Rose knew it was taking its toll on her. Despite her parents and the doctors telling Rose to go home, she stayed, wanting to be there in case he woke up. John would be doing the same. Though, knowing him, he wouldn’t have left on Saturdays and would stay in the clothes he had for days.

It was a Thursday when he finally woke up, surprising Rose. She had been reading, well trying to read, when she heard him clear his throat. Closing the book she stood up and went over to him, helping him to drink some water.

“I need to get your doctor.” She told him after placing the cup down. “I’ll be right back.” With one last look, Rose walked out of the room and over to the nurses’ station, asking for his doctor.

The next half an hour was a whirlwind of activity. Rose called her mum and Pete while the doctor examined him, letting them know he was awake. After she ended the call, she let out a breath before pacing up and down in the hallway, biting on her thumbnail. She wanted to see him again, just to know he was okay. Knowing he was awake was one of the best feelings she had felt in the past two months. When the doctor came out a few minutes later, she could tell the news he had wasn’t the best.

“How is he, doctor?”

“He’s in good spirits.” The doctor cleared his throat, opening John’s file as he pointed to the scans they had taken the day before. “This is where the swelling was occurring and while there appears to be no more swelling, Mr. Smith has suffered some memory loss.”

“How much memory loss?”

“The last thing he remembers is going to work. He believes it is 2010.”

“But that’s when he and I met. Are you saying he doesn’t remember me?”

“He asked who the woman was that had been in the room with him when he woke up. Maybe if you go in and sit with him now that he’s awake, he might remember you.” The doctor told her softly, closing the file.

“Memory loss has happened to him before, right after we got married. He would forget little things, like the date, what day of the week it was, while he didn’t forget me, he sometimes forgot my name. He went to doctors but none of them could figure out what was wrong.”

“Stress does affect memory, it is very possible that it caused it then.”

Rose nodded her head softly, willing herself to keep the tears at bay. Walking into the room with the doctor, she gave John a small smile. “Hi. How are you feeling?”

“Fine. Hungry.”

“I’ll see what I can do about that.” The doctor told them before leaving the room again, giving Rose a few minutes with John by herself.

“I was been told you have been here the whole time with me?”

“Yes, I have.”

“The doctor said we are married. I apologize, but I do not remember.”

Rose nodded her head softly, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s fine. I understand.”

“Though, I am upset that I can’t remember such a beautiful woman.”

Blushing softly, Rose ducked her head down. On the first day they met, he had remarked she was beautiful. At least she knew he still felt the same. “Are you cold or anything? I could get you a blanket.”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Do you want me to go or?”

“Stay. Please. I don’t want to be alone.”

“I’ll stay.” She moved over to the chair she had occupied for the past two months and sat down, averting her gaze to the window.

“How long have we been married?”

Turning to look at him, she gave him a small smile. “Four years. We met six years ago.”

“Do we have any children?”

Rose shook her head quickly, looking down at her hands. “No.”

“Pets?”

“No. We did have a fish once. Didn’t live long.”

“Did I forget to feed it?”

“We both did.” She admitted sheepishly, laughing lightly, smiling when John joined in.

Twenty minutes later the doctor walked back in with a tray of soft foods for John. “Here you go, Mr. Smith. I know you’re hungry but you have not had solid food in two months, you need to go easy.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

“After you eat, I would like to take you from some tests, get the casts off too if possible. Everything should be healed.

Rose looked over to make sure John was okay with eating before looking up at the doctor. “What kind of tests?”

“Scans of his brain, just to make sure everything is okay. We want to do some short-term memory tests, to see if it’s just the long-term memory or the short-term memory as well. We’re trying to determine what we’re dealing with.”

“How much longer will I need to be in here?”

“You’ll need therapy to help you walk again and regain your muscle strength. Possibly another month at most.”

John frowned, nodding his head slightly. The one thing he was sure of was how much he hated hospitals. Though, he wasn’t sure what he was in store for when he was released.

Five weeks later, John was released from the hospital and Rose was able to take him home. As much as it pained her, the both of them, he hadn’t been able to regain his memories. The doctor said he was fine otherwise and to just give it time. Rose let him take their bedroom while she slept in the guest room down the hall. When she told her mum and Pete that John was able to come home, they offered her to stay with them, make it easier on her. But Rose declined, wanting John to be in their home, hoping it would trigger something.

During the past five weeks, Rose only stayed overnight when he asked, which was usually three times a week. It had been weird for her to be in their home, sleeping, when he wasn’t there. But now that he was home, it was still weird, since he couldn’t remember anything. But no matter what, she loved him and would be by his side for whatever he needed. His food tastes hadn’t changed much over the past six years and when he arrived home, was quite surprised that Rose knew all of his favorite things. Though, they had been married for four years, it made sense.

The first two weeks went well, in Rose’s opinion, as they settled into a new routine. Pete had set Rose up to work from home until she was ready to go back into the office and while John wasn’t able to go back to work yet, he stayed around the house reading, and familiarizing himself with his surroundings.

One night, Rose sat in the kitchen as she nursed a cup of tea, only to find John wandering in twenty minutes later. He had mentioned getting headaches and Rose knew they were part of the healing process.

“Do you want some tea?” She asked softly, watching as he sat down across from her.

“Yes, please.”

Getting up from the table, she dropped a tea bag into a mug and poured the hot water over it before carrying it back to the table. Sitting down, she picked her mug up again and took a sip, relishing in the warmth.

“Forgive me for prying but I’ve noticed you have been using quite a few things that have ginger in them. Are you ill?”

“The ginger helps with nausea. I’ve just been having bouts of it, is all.”

“Have you seen a doctor?”

Rose nodded her head softly, placing her mug back down as she looked into the murky liquid. “I didn’t know how to tell you this, not with everything that’s been going on, but I am pregnant.” Her voice was soft, not sure of his response. They had been trying for close to six months before his accident happened, for a baby. “I found out about two weeks before you woke up.”

“So I didn’t know?”

She shook her head softly, lifting her head to look at him. “No. I wanted to tell you, but you’ve been through so much, I couldn’t drop this on you too.”

“You’ve been through quite a bit too, Rose. You have been there for me through everything. Therapy sessions, doctor’s appointments, all of it. I want to be there with you, through this.”

Rose nodded her head softly, a small smile playing on her lips. “I’d like that.”

“How far along are you?”

“Fifteen weeks. I have a scan next week.” Seeing the confused look on his face, she reached over and placed her hand on top of his. “We were together the night before your accident and the morning of.” Rose blushed slightly, moving her hand from his.

“I’d like to go with you, if I may?”

“I’d never stop you.”

“I know I loved you once, I would like to have the chance at loving you again, if you’ll allow me?”

“Course I will. Nothing that’s happened has changed how I feel about you. If anything, it’s made my love for you stronger.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

It was three months later when John woke up in the middle of the night trying to find Rose when he remembered everything. Rose rushed into their bedroom, hearing his screams and tried to console him.

“What happened, love?” She questioned as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close to her chest.

“I remember. I remember the accident, bright lights everywhere, pain, metal snapping.”

“Shh, it’s okay. You’re fine. They fixed you, brought you back.”

“I’m sorry I forgot you.” He mumbled softly, letting his eyes close. “I kept fighting to get back to you.”

“I know, love. I knew you’d remember.”

“The baby?” He questioned, resting his hand on her stomach once he felt the baby kicking.

“She’s fine. Can’t wait to meet her daddy.”

“So much of the last four months have felt like a dream.”

“It’s okay. Tomorrow, we’ll talk. Take a few deep breaths. I want to call the doctor tomorrow, have him check you over.”

“Anything you want, love.” John sat up and pressed a kiss to Rose’s lips. It had been over six months since he had done this. While they had spent time getting to know each other again in the past three months, Rose had held him off from any physical contact, wanting to make sure he was better before anything had happened.

“Oh John.” Rose mumbled softly as she kissed him again, her fingers running through his curly hair. Pulling back slightly she looked into his eyes, tears sparkling in her own. “How are you feeling? Headache?”

“I’m exhausted and yes, my head does hurt.”

“Back to sleep with you then. We can make up for all the lost snogging tomorrow.”

“Will you stay with me?”

“Of course. No more nights apart for the two of us ever again.”

Rose stayed awake that night and watched over John, just as she had many times when he was in the hospital. There had been a few close calls while he was in a coma and she was always afraid she was going to fall asleep one night and he wouldn’t be there in the morning when she woke. He was her everything and she couldn’t live without him.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Rose gives birth to their daughter, John tries everything he can to jog his memory. When left alone with their daughter, he panics, feeling that he may never remember everything again. Rose's fears of possibly losing her husband come to surface and John tries to reassure her that he isn't going anywhere.

The past few weeks had been difficult for both Rose and John. While Rose was doing her best to help John, she could tell he was becoming frustrated with not being able to remember certain things. He had regained some of his memories, but not all of them, much to his dismay. She was one week from her due date and was worried how she would be able to balance John’s care along with taking care of their daughter.

Wanting to check on him, Rose walked out of the nursery and headed into the living room where John had been sitting. She had left him with different photo albums and pictures, hoping that something would spark in his mind. Sitting next to him, she rested her hand on her stomach and looked at the pictures with him.

“What is this from?” He questioned, handing her a picture.

“Your birthday, last year. You didn’t want to celebrate, but I insisted. It was a small gathering. You, me, Mum, Pete, and Tony.”

“Tony is your brother, right?”

“Yeah. He adores you. You usually tell him stories and help him with his puzzles. Sometimes he gets you to tell him about the stars when we babysit him and he stays over.”

“Does that happen often?”

“About once a month or so.”

“Has he missed coming over?”

“Yeah, he has.” Rose told him softly, handing him back the picture. “But we’ve explained to him that he’ll see you soon.”

“If you want, we can have your parents over for lunch soon. Before the baby comes.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Wrapping her arm around his waist, she leaned her head against his shoulder as he looked through the pictures again.

John let out a small sigh as he flipped through the pictures. Most of them were of him and Rose, over the course of what appeared to be the past six years. While some of the pictures seemed familiar to him, he couldn’t pinpoint anything. After his nightmare, all he could recall was Rose, loving her, and the accident. He couldn’t remember how they met, when they started dating, or how he asked her to marry him. Did they ever fight about anything? Were there ever weekends where they had lazy Saturdays or Sundays?

“I think I may go lay down. Looking at these pictures is giving me a headache.”

“All right. I’ll clean up. Go rest.” Rose sat up and slid forward on the couch, moving to organize the pictures.

“Let me help then we can rest together.”

“I’d like that.”

After they cleaned up the pictures and John returned the albums to where Rose had pulled them from, they went upstairs into their bedroom. Despite sharing a room and bed for the past few weeks, it hadn’t been often that they were both moving around it at the same time. Usually Rose would go up first and John would join her an hour or so later. Somehow, he knew that wasn’t normal. Once they were both in pajamas, John sat on the bed next to Rose and rubbed her back, seeing that she was in pain.

“Does it hurt?”

“Not so much. Just uncomfortable. You’re helping though. Thank you.”

“Anything for you, love.” John pressed a gentle kiss to her neck before resuming his ministrations on her back. “Is she kicking?”

“Not right now. I think she knows we both want to get some rest.”

“Do you think I’ll be a good father?”

Rose turned around so she could face him, resting her hand on his leg. “I think you’re going to be the best father. Our little one is going to look up to you and will have you wrapped around her finger.”

“What if I forget something that happens? First steps, first words, any of her firsts.”

“By the time those start happening, I think you’re going to be better. We both need to take it one day at a time. You’re going to get your memories back, the doctor said it will take time.”

“Not knowing everything I want to know about you is what is bothering me most.”

“I know, love.” Rose whispered softly, moving her hand up to cup his cheek. “I’ll answer whatever questions you have. I just want you better.” The doctor had warned them not to tell him too much, that he would recall most of it on his own, once he was better. But she didn’t care anymore, she just wanted her husband back.

“After we rest, we can talk.” He stood up from the bed and helped her to lie down on her side before he went around and climbed in as well, turning so he could face her. Running his fingers over her cheek, he moved them over to her lips and traced them with his index finger. “I used to bring you a bouquet of flowers every week. Two if it was your birthday or our anniversary.”

She nodded her head softly, giving him a shy smile. “Sometimes you would bring two just because you couldn’t choose. I always put them on the counter so I could see them as much as possible. I used to make biscuits twice a month, your favorite.”

“Oatmeal raisin.”

“Yes. You usually tried to get me to make them every week.”

“Yours are better than the bakery we used to go to.”

“The café, on main.” She told him softly, running her fingers through his hair gently. “I’ll make you some tomorrow.”

“What if I don’t remember anything?”

“Then we make new memories. I promise, John, I will love you no matter what.”

“I will love you until the end of time.”

Rose gave him a watery smile before shifting over as best she could to cuddle against his chest as they fell asleep. _I will love you until the end of time_ had been something he said during his vows and he repeated to her as often as he could, wanting her to know his promise had meant something to him. It was bits and pieces such as those words that would float out of his mouth at any given time, which gave her hope. She wasn’t sure how long it would take, but she knew he would regain his memories, if not, they would make new ones, just as she promised.

_Two and a half months later_

They had decided Rose would go back to work once she had the baby and was cleared medically to go back. Since John wasn’t able to teach in his current predicament, they had decided he would resign and when the time was right later, he would go back to work. John had suggested he stay home with little Annabelle and while Rose fully supported that, she was also worried about John being under too much stress. As a compromise, John stayed home with Annabelle three days a week while the other two would be spent with her Gran. Rose promised it would only be until he was feeling better and wasn’t getting as many headaches as he was. While he knew it was for the best, he didn’t want to give up the time with his daughter.

She had two more days of her leave before she had to go back into work and while Annabelle napped, Rose sat with John in the living room, answering the questions he had about their past.

“How did we meet?”

“Pete introduced us. He had been to a lecture you had given about solar energy and you became friends after that. He invited you to one of the conventions for Torchwood to present there and he brought me over to meet you. I stayed for your lecture and was very intrigued. I gave you my number before I left and you called me not long after. We saw each other a few times before you started to court me. Your words, not mine. One year to the day we met, you proposed and a year later we were married.”

“You wore Converses and not heels.”

“Yeah, I did.” Rose gave him a grin before snuggling into his side.

“When did we move into this house?”

“Right after we were married. It was actually a wedding present from Pete and Mum. We fought them tooth and nail about it, told them we would sell it but in the end, Mum convinced us to keep it.”

“She said Pete wanted to make up for you not having a father growing up and we were to accept it.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Once we were settled though, we were both glad we kept it. I was able to use the room downstairs as my office and we both agreed that we had space for our own little family.”

“If we have been married for four years, why did we wait to have children?”

“We tried after being married for a year with no success and just left it for a while. We both got swept up in work but we decided last year to start trying again. Took us around six months to get pregnant with Annabelle.”

“How many children did we decide on?”

“I wanted three, you wanted four. We decided to just see what happens.”

“You looked beautiful, pregnant.”

Rose blushed softly, tilting her head up to press a chaste kiss against his lips. “Thank you. Anything else you would like to know?”

“What did we do on our first date?”

“You forgot which restaurant we were meeting at and showed up twenty minutes late, without your wallet. We ended up going for chips and a movie.”

“You said it was the best date you had ever been on.”

“Still true. We used to try and go out at least once a month together but we usually just stayed in.”

“I would like to take you on a date soon, next weekend perhaps?”

“I’d like that. I’ll ask Mum if she can watch Annabelle for a few hours.”

“Do you think I’ll be okay watching her during the day?”

“You’re her father, I have no doubts. She already adores you, John. Promise me though, if you get a headache or anything, you’ll call me or Mum. I don’t want you feeling sick and having to take care of her.” She added softly, slipping her arms around him in a hug.

“I will.”

On Rose’s first day back, John sent her pictures of Annabelle, just to let her know how they were doing. While Rose knew he would be okay with her by himself, John had his doubts. What if he forgot to check on her, or feed her? Annabelle was a crier so if anything, that would alert him to what she needed. It wasn’t until Wednesday that John truly felt like he couldn’t take care of her. When another headache hit, he called Rose to see if she could come home to help him. As much as he disliked depending on her for so much, she was the only one he could turn to.

When Rose walked into the house, everything was dark. Making her way upstairs, she checked the nursery first to check on Annabelle. Not finding her there, she made her way into their bedroom. John was laying on his side of the bed while Annabelle was fast asleep on Rose’s side of the bed, surrounded by pillows. Going over to John, she ran her fingers over his forehead before pressing a kiss to his cheek. She knew he hated not being able to function the way he wanted to and it was taking its toll on him. Rose made her way to the other side of the bed and picked Annabelle up and cradled her in her arms as she looked down at their daughter.

“Rose?”

“I’m here.” She told him softly, making her way back over to him. “What can I do to make you feel better?”

“Remember how you used to massage my scalp?”

“Yeah, I do. Let me settle our little one down in the bassinet and I’ll join you” Rose settled Annabelle in her bassinet and climbed on the bed carefully, not wanting to jostle it. Helping John to move his head into her lap, she propped herself up on the pillows and began to run her fingers through his hair and lightly massage his scalp. “What happened?”

“It was a dull headache when I woke up but it got worse as the day progressed.”

After every headache ended, he usually remembered something, it was usually small, but it was something. It made John feel better about the headaches, but Rose hated seeing him in pain. She had stopped openly worrying, after John asked her not to, and usually let him tell her what she needed. She just wished she could take all of his pain away.

“Did you take anything?”

“Yes, I did. This is helping though.”

“I’m glad.” Her tone was light, trying not to let her worry shine through her words. At least the time between his headaches was getting longer, maybe this meant he was healing. “I miss being home with you and Annabelle.”

“We miss you too, love.”

Rose looked down at her husband to see his eyes were open. Giving him a smile she ran her fingers over his face, tracing over his nose and lips. “Maybe instead of going out alone on Saturday, we can spend time as a family?”

“I would enjoy that.”

Moving her hands back to his scalp, she started her massage again, hoping to relieve some of the pain he was having. They were both fighters and Rose knew he would do anything to stay with her, to stay with his family, but she was still scared every day that something would happen to him and she would lose him forever. Feeling the tears in her eyes, she blinked them back, hoping he wouldn’t see. Luck was not on her side because she felt John shifting on the bed and pull her into his arms as she cried. She had cried the day of the accident and again when he woke up, but never in front of him. She wanted to be strong for him, just like he had been strong for her.

“I’m here, love. Nothing is going to happen.” John whispered to her as he held her close. As much as this was affecting him, this was affecting her just as much. It would be better for them both, if he could wake up one morning and remember everything, but that was the luck of head injuries, you just never knew. “I made a promise to you when we were married that I would love you through sickness and health. We have both been holding that promise. I will get better.”

Rose nodded her head softly, pulling back to look at him. She was the one always reassuring him, that it was almost odd to have him reassure her. Wiping her eyes she gave him a small smile before pulling him in for a kiss. “I’m holding you to that promise.”


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John gets back most of his memories while he and Rose create a few new ones.

 

One year, four months, and six days after his accident, John woke up and _remembered_. He remembered their first date, the first time he told her he loved her, the first time she told him she loved him, _everything._ Turning to look at his wife, he remembered how they met the first time, how she took his breath away. How he took her for a romantic weekend away after they had been together for three months and surprised her with what became their favorite bed and breakfast. He remembered the way she looked on their wedding day, beautiful as always, as she walked down the aisle toward him.

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pressed a kiss to her shoulder before leaning his head against her pillow, holding her close. Rose had been his anchor for the past seven years, but the past year and four months had been so hard on her. It made his heart hurt, knowing she went through that, because of him, made him want to do something special for her. No matter what he could plan for her, he knew it would never make up for everything that happened but he hoped it would make her see how treasured she was and how important to him she was.

“John?” Rose mumbled his name as she turned around and cuddled into his chest.

“It’s early, love. Go back to sleep.”

“Annabelle will be up soon.” She whispered softly, letting out a yawn.

“I’ll get her when she wakes up.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. I enjoy my mornings with Annabelle.”

Rose opened her eyes and gave him a smile, resting her hand over his heart. “You’re such a good father. I couldn’t ask for better.”

For the first few weeks after Rose went back to work, John ended up asking Jackie to watch Annabelle while Rose was at work. It pained John to leave Annabelle, but it had been hard for him to watch her if he had a headache. Now that he was feeling better, he had fallen into a routine with Annabelle. Part of him wished everything were different and that Rose could be home with Annabelle, but for right now, he was glad he had the time with her.

“You were the one to teach me what I know. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without you.” He told her, running his fingers through her hair.

“We’re a good team you and me.” Rose told him before closing her eyes again, letting out another yawn. “Sorry.”

“Nonsense. Get some more rest, love. I know she was up a few times during the night.”

“She wanted cuddle time with me.” Rose stretched her back slightly before pulling the blanket over her shoulder. “Are you feeling okay today? I don’t want to have a lie in if you’ve got a headache.”

“I am feeling better. No headaches today.” He hesitated slightly before pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I started to remember more things. I will tell you what I have remembered once you wake up. Get some rest.”

“Now I’m too excited to go back to sleep.” She told him as she opened up her eyes, searching his face.

“It’s just gone seven. Sleep at least one more hour then we’ll talk.”

“All right.” Rose brought her hand up to his cheek as she pulled him in close for a slow kiss. She was excited for him, for the both of them. She knew how much he longed to look at one of the pictures they had up on the walls and just remember the moment the picture had been taken. During this whole thing, she’s realized how much she’s taken for granted.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, John. So very much.”

John waited until she fell back to sleep before getting out of the bed. Getting his memories back was something both he and Rose had hoped for over the past year. It had put a strain on both of them, on their marriage, and while Rose said she loved him, John knew she missed her husband. The real him, the one that remembered. She stuck by his side the entire time and John was grateful for every day with her. Walking down the hall, he stopped in Annabelle’s room and changed her before picking her up from the crib. She was growing every day and looking more and more like her mum. She had his nose, much to Rose’s happiness, and his curly hair.

Bringing Annabelle downstairs, he got a bottle ready for her before he made a call to the florist, the one he would always use, and placed an order to be delivered to the house that day. It had been well over a year since he had given Rose flowers and knew today was the day to start again. After Annabelle finished her bottle, John carried her back upstairs to check on Rose. While she was fast asleep, John let his eyes take her in her form. She was just as beautiful as she was the first day they met. Well, even more beautiful, if that were possible. Climbing in the bed, he lay down next to her and settled their little girl down so she was lying on his chest.

“Did she have a bottle?” Rose mumbled as she moved closer to them.

“Yes, she did. I thought you were asleep?”

“Every time you get up from the bed, I wake up. I stay up until I know you’re either back in bed or on the couch watching television.”

“I am sorry if I wake you.”

“You don’t. I just worry about you. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

John lifted his arm up and wrapped it around her as she settled in against his side. Rose would worry about everyone she loved and cared about before she would worry about herself. He hoped her big heart was something she passed on to their daughter. “We can take a nap later when Annabelle goes down for a nap.”

“I would like that.” Rose pulled the blanket over them, making sure Annabelle’s head was peeking out from the blanket. Seeing John with her like this, made her realize they almost didn’t get the chance. While she hadn’t seen John’s car in person, she had seen the pictures of it from Mickey and Pete. They all agreed he was lucky to be alive. She was lucky he was alive. Blinking back the tears, she looked up at him, giving him a soft smile.

“Would you like to hear what I remember?”

“Yes, as much as you want to tell me. Just don’t give yourself a headache.”

“I won’t, love.”

As John launched into his tale, Rose leaned her head against his shoulder, her eyes focused on his mouth and the words he was speaking. He started at the beginning, reminding her of how beautiful she looked when they first met, the phone call he made a few months later when he asked her if he could court her. The time he took her for a romantic weekend away, which he wanted to do again, soon. The first time he told her he loved her and how nervous he had been. Their first fight, which he started for no reason, the first time they made love, which he also wanted to do again, soon. When he proposed to her and how he had lost the ring two weeks before he asked her, only to find it in one of his coat pockets.

John told her about what he remembered from the accident, the lights, trying to move to avoid the other car, the sounds, and wanting to get home to her. Seeing how much it pained her, he told her about how he had wanted to ask her to marry him after knowing her for three weeks, much to her amusement and his own. When he finished telling her about the six years he had missed, he turned his head to look at her, only to find her staring at him. He often wondered why she stayed with him after his accident. Online searches and books told him it was often hard for a spouse to remain married once a head injury occurred and John knew it had been hard on her for both of them.

“Why did you stay?”

“You mean after your accident?” Seeing his nod, she pressed a kiss to his cheek before resting her forehead against his temple. “I’ve loved you since day one, when we met. There was no way I would ever leave you, especially when you needed me most. It was hard, I will admit. But seeing you today, feeling better, raising our daughter, it was all worth it. I knew you would come back to me one day.” Rose placed her hand on Annabelle’s back, next to his hand. “You would stay if the roles were reversed. I promised you forever and I meant it. There was never a question on whether or not I was going to stay. I’m always going to stay.”

“Thank you, for never giving up on me, on us.”

“You never have to thank me for that, my love.”

John bent his head down and captured her lips in a slow, passionate kiss. Kissing was the only intimacy they had shared since his accident. It wasn’t as though either of them didn’t want to go further, they both did. Rose wanted to wait until he was sure he wanted to stay with her and John wanted to wait until he could remember what he could from the missing six years. Her body had changed in the last year and four months and Rose was nervous that John would no longer find her attractive. That was not the case and John would spend the time showing her that he did find her attractive and even more so since she had given birth. Rose broke the kiss a few minutes later and the pair shared a smile before looking at their daughter. This was everything Rose could ever want in her life.

They decided to stay inside all day and relax, since they were both so exhausted. It was partially physical exhaustion and the rest was emotional exhaustion. When the two bouquets of flowers John had ordered her arrived later, Rose threw her arms around him in a hug as they shared a kiss.

“They’re lovely, thank you. You shouldn’t have.”

“You went over a year without flowers for me, I wanted to make that up to you.”

“Having you home, safe, and recovering is all I need. Flowers aren’t as important as you being home with me.”

John simply gave her a grin before pulling her in for another kiss. They were interrupted by their daughter, a few minutes later, as she babbled at them from her swing. John watched as Rose tended to her before picking her up from the swing and cuddling her in her arms. His two girls, his family. Deciding to join them, he walked over to Rose and slipped an arm around her waist as he tickled Annabelle, causing her to laugh and Rose to smile. He had been given a second chance at life and he was going to enjoy it.

Two years after his accident, John and Rose renewed their vows.

Three years after his accident, John and Rose welcomed their son into the world, looking very much like his father.

While he still had trouble remembering a few things, all of the important memories were there and he couldn’t be happier.


End file.
